Apparatus for handling molders&#39; sand



May 31, 932.

G. F. ROYER 1,866,481

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING IOLDERS SAN D' Filed April 15, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet l Jmmb:

fieo ya IE ye l MayBl, 1932. I e. F. ROYER 1,860,431

I APPARATUS FOR HANDLING HOLDERS SAND Filed April 15. 19:50 5 Sheets-Sheet 2- @0 8 Eg /em -May 31, .1932. G. F. ROYER APPARATUSFOR HANDLING uommns' mu:

Filed April 15. 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 NN e Patented May 31, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GEORGE I. BUYER, F WILKES-BARBIE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB '10 ROYEB FOUNDRY AND MACHINE COMPANY, 01 WILKES-BARBIE, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION 01' PHVNSYLVANIA APPARATUS FOR HANDLING HOLDERS flAND Application filed April 15, 1930. Serial No. 444,554.

monly contains metal pieces, such as fins of castings, gaggers. nails, etc and the fresh or newly added sand may include stones or undesirably large particles, all of which should be separated from the mixture which is to be used in preparing new molds.

It is customar to deposit the sand obt-ained from brea- 'ing up old molds in piles extending throughout a considerable length of the foundry floor, and the width of which may vary over a considerable distance.

Among the objects of the'present invention is the provision of a motor propelled truck with means for collecting and lifting the sand from the floor on which the truck travels, and delivering the same into 11 separating means on the truck by which undesirable large particles or pieces of' foreign matter may be separated from the mixture, and sand containing only particles not exceeding a predetermined size delivered for use in preparing new molds.

lVith these and other ends in view, the invention consists in the particular construction and arrangement of parts that will be hereinafter more particularly described in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is an elevation of an apparatus embodying the present invention. the sand treating and separating means being shown in partial vertical section.

Figure 2 is a View similar to Figure 1 showing a slightmodification.

Figure 3 is a plan of the truck with the elevator devices in horizontal section.

Figure 4 is a detail of a portion of the elevator supporting means.

Figure 5 is a detail of means for oscillating the elevator about a vertical axis as will be hereinafter described.

Referring to the drawings, in the several figures of which like parts are designated by the same reference characters, the improved apparatus comprises a truck 1 which is supported at its forward end by ground wheels 2 and at its rear end by a wheel 3, the latter being adapted to turn about a vertical axis to steer the vehicle.

The truck may be of any suitable construction and include a frame of angle iron which is shownas being provided with a top or base plate on which the other parts of the-appa ratus are mounted.

On the truck adjacent the forward end thereof is mounted an elevator shown as comprising an endless series of buckets 5, the connecting members of which extend about suitable rollers or sprockets mounted on shafts journaled in bearings formed in side frame members 6, adjacent opposite ends thereof.

The head shaft of the elevator is mounted in suitable bearings at the upper bifurcated end of a tubular upright 7, which is supported from the truck 1, so as to oscillate about a vertical axis.

Such oscillating support for the elevator may be of various forms and mounted-in any suitable manner. For purposes of illustration, I have shown a. construction including an upright column comprising a base 10 and a tubular body 11. About the upright 11 is arranged the tubular portion 7 of the elevator support proper, theupper bifurcated arms 8 of which are provided with bearings for the. head shaft of the elevator.

As shown, the lower end of the tubular portion 7 of the elevator support proper rests uponan abutment 12. and saidbody 7 is connected as by a key 9 to a vertical shaft 13, which extends throughout the length of the tubular column 11 to a point below the base 10 thereof. and at its lower end is provided with a radially projecting arm 14.

Between the upper end of column 11 and the shaft and tubular body of the elevator support proper are arranged suitable bushings 15. 16. so that oscillatory movement of the shaft 13 and elevator support connected therewith. may be efiected with a minimum amount of friction.

Near its up r end, the frame of the elevator is provi ed with a rearward extension that extends between the arms 8 of the elevator support, and on this extension 20 is mounted the motor 21 by which the elevator is driven.

The elevator is thus suspended from its head'shaft, and the latter is free'to rock in about theaxis of its head shaft is limited by means connected with the body 7 of the elevator support. As shown, this means includes two arms 25 which extend forward from the tubular body.7 and across the sides of the elevator. To said arms at their. outer ends are secured plates 26, in which are formed slots 27 with which cooperate pins 28 projecting; laterally from the side frame members f the elevator. Stops 30 connected to the inner faces of the plates 26 limit rearward movement of the lower end of the elevator, but from Figures 1 and 2, it will be seen that by reason of the slots 27 the lower end of the elevator may rock forward to a considerable degree to clear any obstruction in the path of the foot or buffer 22 before referred to.

As the truck 1 is moved over a foundry floor and the elevator is driven by its motor 21. it will be seen that the buckets 5 will act to lift from the floor sand, and discharge the same over the top or head shaft of the elevator.

In theembodiment of the invention illustrated in Figure 1, the sand thus elevated which may contain, as before described, undesirable foreign matter, such as nails, particles orpieces of castings, etc, will be discharged through a chute 41 on to a screen apparatus which will effect a preliminary separation of the sand and undesired foreign materials. I

Any suitable form of screening means may be employed, the one illustrated forming the subject matter of a separate application for atent and, therefore, not described in detail here.

The particles too large to pass through the screen 42'are discharged into a receptacle 43, while the sand which passes through the screenis deI-ipered by a chute 44 on to a separating belt 50. This final separator 50 is of the type heretofore patented by me, and by it relatively fine particles of sand. or particles not exceeding a predetermined size, are collected and as the belt is rapidly rotated are discharged over the upper end thereof through the air to a suitable receptacle, not shown, or' deposited on the floor on which the truck is moving. This final separator acts not only to provide a final product, the particles of which will not exceed a predetermined size, but, as explained in earlier patents, to aerate the particles whereby the are in a condition most suitable for use in orming molds.

By the arrangement described, it will be seenthat the particles of old sand obtained from broken molds and deposited in the path of the truck can be mixed with new sand either de osited on the piles of old sand on the foundi'y floor, or delivered into the upper end of the chute 41 or above the separating screen 42, so that the sand finally delivered by the ap aratus will be an intimate mixture of old an new sand. 2

As shown, there is mounted on the truck a suitable motor 60, which is connected by suitable gearing including, for example, sprocket chains 61, 62 with both the truck propelling means and the sand separating or treating devices.

As shown, the chain 61 actuates a s rocket on one end of a worm shaft 63 w ich is mounted in suitable bearings in the truck frame and provided with worms 64, 65 which, respectively, mesh with worm gears 66, 67. The worm gear 66 has a radially projecting arm 68, and a link 69 connects this arm with the arm 14 at the lower end of the vertical shaft 13, which is, as before described, keyed to the elevator support, and constitutes the means for. oscillating the elevator about a vertical axis.

It will be seen that, as the worm gear 66 rotates, an oscillatory movement will be imparted to the arm 14 and shaft 13, along the dotted line in Figure 3, and the extent of such oscillatory movement ma be varied, as desired, by adjustment of t e point of connection of the link 69 with the arm 68 on the worm gear 66. As shown, this engagement is efiected by providing a slot in the arm 68 and fittin therein a projection from the link 69, an a justable screw rod 70 being provided for moving this connection between the link and arm 68 longitudinally of said slot.

The worm gear 67 drives a suitable train of gearing which, it is not necessary to describe in detail, actuates a drive shaft that is shown as having a worm 76 engaging a worm 77 on the drive shaft for the truck supporting-wheels 2. Control of this train of gearingb'etween the worm wheel 67 and the truck wheels 2 is effected by levers 80.

Movement of the steeering wheel 3 is controlled by a. lever at one side of the truck and connected through suitable links and rods with an arm 91 on the vertical shaft of said steering wheel.

Instead of providing the truck with a means for treating the sand. as hereinbefore referred to. and as shown in Figure 1, the sand lifted from the foundry floor by the elevator buckets may be discharged directl' into a suitable receptacle 100 on the true and shown as having the form of a bucket provided with a bale 101 that may be engaged v y a suitable trolley, crane or other means for removing it from the body of the truck conveying the same to any desired point in the foundry.

In this embodiment of the invention, it is preferable to provide an auxiliary chute 102 at the discharge end of the elevator chute 41. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figure 2, the motor for propelling the truck and oscillating the elevator is located adjacent the elevator support.

It is believed that the operation and advantages of the invention will be readily understood from the foregoing description 1n connection with the drawings.

It will be seen that the apparatus is of very simple construction, an that the control of movement of the truck is readily effected by manipulation of the hand levers 80, 90. As the truck moves forward, the elevator will be oscillated through a path of the desired length and will, therefore, be effective for lifting sand deposited on the foundry floor in piles or rows of widths exceeding that of the elevator buckets. The. oscillations of the elevator about its vertical axis will be at a regular speed, but as the speed of g the truck is independently controlled, it is possible to elevate a regulanquantity of sand in a given time, regardless of the height or width of the rows or piles of sand acted upon.

I claim:

1-. In an apparatus for handling'molders sand in foundries, the combination of a truck, a vertical shaft mounted on the truck, an elevator having its frame connected to said shaft, adapted to lift sand from the level of the surface on which the truck travels to points above the upper end of said shaft, means for automatically imparting continuous oscillatory movement to said shaft, and means for driving the elevator mounted to oscillate with the elevator about the axis of the shaft.

2. In an apparatus for handling molders sand in foundries, the combination of a truck, a vertical shaft mounted on the truck, a member connected to and extending upward from I said shaft, the upper end of said member being bifurcated, an elevator having its head shaft mounted in the bifurcation of said member, a motor support extending rearward from the elevator acrossthe arms of the bifurcated portionv of said member, a motor on said support, connections between the motor and elevator for driving the latter, and means on the truck for oscillating thevertical shaft, elevator and driving devices for the latter.

3. In an apparatus for handling molders sand in foundries, the combination of a truck,

an elevator support including a tubular portion mounted on the truck to oscillate about a vertical axis and having at its upper end suitable horizontal shaft bearings, an endless elevator having its head shaft mounted in said bearings, a brace connecting said tubular portion and the frame of the elevator, a motor carried by the elevator frame andadapted to drive the elevator, and means on the truck for oscillating the elevator and its support about the aforesaid vertical axis. 4. In an apparatus for handling molders sand in foundries, the combination of a truck frame, an elevator support comprising an upright mounted on the truck to oscillate about a vertical axis and having a bifurcated upper portion, an elevator having its'head shaft mounted in hearings in the members of the bifurcated portion of said an port, said elevator being adapted to rock odily about the axis of said shaft, means connected with the elevator support for limiting such bodily movement of the elevator, a motor support adjacent the head shaft of the elevator and movable with the elevator frame, a motor on the motor support adapted to drive the elevator, and means on the truck for oscillating the elevator support about said vertical axis. 5. In an apparatus for handling molders sand in foundries, the combination of a truck, an elevator support mounted on the truck to oscillate about a vertical axis and having at its upper end suitable horizontal shaft bearings, a frame mounted in said bearings, and adapted to lift sand from the level of the surface on which the truck travels, a motor support connected with the frame of the elevator, a motor on said support adapted to drive the elevator, a brace extending from the elevator support across the frame of the elevator and having means cooperating with said frame for limitingbodilyswingingmovement of the elevator about the axis of :said bearings, and means on the truck for oscillating the elevator support and elevator about a vertical axis. a 6. In an apparatus for handling molders sand in foundries, the combination of a truck, an elevator support including a tubular portion mounted on the truck to oscillate about a vertical axis and having at its upper end a suitable horizontal shaft bearings, an endless elevator having its head shaft mounted in said bearing and its frame depending from said shaft, brace arms extending forward from the tubular portion of the elevator support at opposite sides of the elevator and provided with curved slots coaxial with said head shaft bearings, pins on the elevator frame extending into said slots, whereby bodily oscillatory movement of the elevator about the axis of the head shaft is limited in either direction, a motor for driving the elevator, a support for the motormovable with the elevator support, and means on the truck for oscillating the elevator support about said vertical axis.

7. In an apparatus for handling molders sand in foundries, the combination of a truck, an elevator supported on the truck to oscillate bodily about a vertical axis and adapted to lift sand from the level of the surface on which the truck travels, automatically acting means on the truck for continuously oscillating the elevator. and means for varying the length of the oscillatory movement of the elevator.

8. In an apparatus for handling molders .sand in foundries, the combination of a truck,

an elevator supported on the truck to oscillate bodily about a vertical axis and adapted to lift sandfrom the level of the surface on which the truck travels, a motor on the truck, propelling means for the truck connected with said motor, and connections between said motor and the elevator for continuously oscillating the latter.

9. In an a paratus for handling molders sand in foun ries, the combination of a truck, a vertical shaft mounted on the truck, an elevator, having its frame connected to said shaft, adapted to lift sand from the level of the surface on which the truck travels to points above the upper end of said shaft, means for imparting a continuous. automatic, oscillatory movement to se id shaft, means for driving the elevator, and separating means on the truck for receiving sand discharged by the elevator, in any position of the latter.

10. In an apparatus for handling molders sand in foundries, the combination of a truck, an elevator support mounted on the truck to oscillate about a vertical axis, an elevator carried by said support and extending downward across one end of the truck to lift sand from the level of the surface on which the truck travels, means supported by the elevator frame for driving the elevator, and means for propelling the truck and simultaneously imparting an oscillatory movement to the elevator support.

11. In an apparatus for handling molders sand in foundries, the combination of a truck, an elevator support mounted on the truck to oscillate about a vertical axis, an elevator carried by said support and extending downward across one end of the truck to lift sand from the level of the surface on which the truck travels, means supported by the elevator frame for driving the elevator, means for propelling the truck and simultaneously imparting a continuous, automatic. oscillatory movement to the elevator support. and. power actuated separating means on the truck for receiving sand discharged by the elevator.

12. In an apparatus for handling moldcrs sand in foundries. the combination of a truck. a vertical shaft mounted on the truck. an elevator, having its frame connected to said shaft, adapted to lift sand from the level of the surface on which the truck travels to points above the upper end of said shaft, an arm connected to and extending radially from the shaft near its lower end, a motor driven gear mounted on the truck to turn about a vertical axis, and a link between and connected .to both said arm and gear, whereby as the gear rotates the shaft and elevator supported thereby will be oscillated about the axis of the shaft, for the purpose described.

13. In an apparatus for handling molders sand in foundries. the combination of a truck, a vertical shaft mounted on the truck, an elevator. having its frame connected to said shaft, adapted to lift sand from the level of the surface on which the truck travels to points above the upper end of said shaft, an arm connected to and extending radially from the shaft near its lower end, a motor driven gear mounted on the truck to turn about a vertical axis, an arm connected to the gear and projecting radially therefrom, and a link connecting the said arms on the shaft and gear. whereby as the gear rotates the shaft and elevator supported thereby will be oscillated about the axis of the shaft, for the purpose described. v

14. In an apparatus for handling molders sand in foundries. the combination of a truck, a vertical shaft mounted on the truck, an elevator, having its frame connected to said shaft, adapted to lift sand from the level of the surface on which the truck travels to points above the upper end of said shaft. an arm connected to and extendingradially from the shaft near its lower end, a. motor driven gear mounted on the truck to turn about a vertical axis. an arm connected to and extending radially from said gear. and a link having one end connected to the said arm on the elevator shaft and its other end connected to said arm of the gear and adapted to be adjusted lengthwise of the last said arm, for the purpose described.

15. In an apparatus for handling molders sand in foundries, the combination of a truck. a vertical shaft mounted on the truck. an elevator, having its frame connected to said shaft, adapted to lift sand from the level of the surface on which the truck travels to points above the upper end of said shaft, an arm connected to and extending radially from the shaft near its lower end, two worm wheels mounted on the truck to turn about vertical axes, a motor driven worm shaft having two worms respectively meshing with said worm wheels, gearing for propelling the truck connected to one of said \vorm wheels. and a connection between the other of said worm wheels and the arm extending radially from the said vertical shaft, whereby the elevator will be oscillated about the axis of the shaft as the truck is moved.

16. In an apparatus for handling molders sand in foundries, the combination of a truck, a vertical shaft mounted on the truck, an elevator, having its frame connected to said shaft, adapted to lift sand from the level of the surface on which the truck travels to points above the upper end of said shaft, an arm connected to and extending radially from the shaft near its lower end, two worm Wheels mounted on the truck to turn about vertical axes, a motor driven worm shaft arranged between and having two worms respectively engaging said worm wheels, gear ing for propelling the truck connected to one of said worm wheels, and a connection between the other of said Worm Wheels and the arm extending radially from the vertical shaft, whereby the elevator will be oscillated about the axis of the vertical shaft as the truck is moved.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set 111 hand.

y GEORGE F. ROYER. 

